Today in Chickamauga History - March 7
1828, March 7: ARKANSAS TERRITORIAL PAPERS VOL XX – Page 624 – 625 - THOMAS L. McKENNEY TO WILLIAM McLEAN - [NA:OIA, Lets. Sent, Bk. 4]
DEPARTMENT OF WAR, Off: Ind: Affairs. 7th March, 1828.
To THE HONb1 WILLIAM McLEAN, Chairman of the Committee of Indian Affairs, Ho: of Rep U. S.
SIR, I have received your letter of the 4th Inst 59 and believe I can in no way so satisfactorily answer it, as by enclosing to you copies of previous reports made by me upon the same subjects as are embraced in your letter.
No permission has been given to our Citizens to settle on Choctaw Lands in Arkansaw-'--The Choctaws themselves, as you will see in one of the accompanying reports, leniently forbore to press upon the General Government its obligations to expel settlers who were on their lands, until their crops should be gathered in.
It seems that the relaxation of the Military order of 1818, which prohibitted sett'lers on a tract of land claimed by the Cherokees called Lovely's purchase, has been construed into a permission to the white sett'lers to occupy those lands.60-But such it is believed was not the intention of the Secretary of War. His order was to suspend until further orders, and on a letter addressed to him by Col Arbuckle 61 - (see copy of Col 0 Jones 62 letter). At all events the Cherokees have remonstrated, and claimed to be rid of these Sett'lers, and it is believed their present visit to this City has reference to this question. You will see the subject in all its bearings in my report to General Clark, of December 15th 1826,63 - which relates mainly to our relations with the Cherokees; that to the Secretary of War of 4th January 1827, to the Choctaws.64 From these two reports, and the remarks in this letter relating to the relaxation of the Military order, you may gather· all the information you seek---except as to the numbers of sett'lers at this time on the Indian lands in Arkansa. No information has been received touching this subject since that
came to hand, on which those reports on that question are based. 65
I have the honor &c. &c.
THO" L. M°KENNEY.
N. B. The Maps referr'd to 66 are, one of them in the Topographical Bureau; the other, it is presumed, in the room of the Committee on Indian Affairs-it never having been returned.-